Lambasting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “highly irresponsible statement” on India’s nuclear arsenal, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday appealed to the people to support the Congress party’s ‘jung’ for protecting the future of the nation, which the BJP-led government at the Centre had plunged into a state of ruin and devastation.

Kick-starting the process of filing of nominations by the Congress candidates in the State from Jalandhar, where he accompanied Punjab Congress candidate Santokh Singh Chaudhary to file nomination papers at the District Administrative Complex, the Chief Minister told media persons that the Prime Minister’s threat to trigger a nuclear war, clearly as a tool to be re-elected, was highly responsible.

“This is a jung (war) for the future of the nation. We are fighting a party that made tall promises but failed to deliver on even a single one of them,” the Chief Minister said while addressing a public meeting in Chaudhary’s favour at the PUDA grounds after filing the nominations.

Capt Amarinder lashed out at the BJP for ruining the nation with its anti-people policies, such as demonetization, Goods and Services Tax (GST) etc.

Pointing out that unemployment rate was at an all-time high, Capt Amarinder ridiculed Modi’s promise of ‘achche din’, saying that “acche din us din aayenge jis din enna da bhog payega” (good days will come only when their rule is brought to an end).

People are sick and tired of their ‘jumlas’ and lies, said the Chief Minister, adding that people want jobs, industry etc. The people of India will overthrow the Modi government, which has spent the last five years misleading and lying to them, he said.

Flaying the Prime Minister for his blatant and shameful politicization of the armed forces, the Chief Minister said that the Army and the forces are not Modi’s personal property and any government of the day would have done what he did in the wake of the Pulwama attack.

Every day, army and paramilitary personnel are dying in the line of duty, and yet the Prime Minister has the audacity to take credit for their actions, he added.

The Chief Minister came down heavily on the BJP for giving a ticket to Sadhvi Pragya, who has been openly going around making divisive and hate speeches, and insulting the men in uniform. “Such people are deliberately being given tickets by BJP in order to divide the people of India,” he said, asserting that the people would not allow the ruling party to destroy the nation’s peaceful fabric to promote their petty political interests.

The government’s job is to ensure the welfare of the people, not divide them, said Capt Amarinder, adding that the government must understand and work towards mitigating the problem of the people.

The Congress in Punjab, he pointed out, was continuously working for the betterment of the people and working for upliftment of all sections of the society.

He cited the examples of farm loan waiver for 10.25 lakh marginal and small farmers, as well as landless labourers, and the facilitation of youth to get employment/self-employment as part of his government’s flagship ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar aur Karobar’ scheme.

Unfortunately, the government cannot give jobs to everyone and was trying, therefore, to get more and more industry and private enterprise into the state for the creation of employment opportunities, the Chief Minister said.

He indicated the establishment of an industrial circle in Jalandhar to bring in new industries and promote further industrial development.